


The Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society

by Mikauzoran



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up (16), Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Lady Noir - Freeform, Picnics, Sharing secrets, Supportive Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Supportive Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Talking, slight Adrienette - Freeform, slight adrinette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikauzoran/pseuds/Mikauzoran
Summary: Chat Noir gets Ladybug to open up a little, and they begin to meet weekly to share secrets and snacks. When she starts to realize how much they truly need each other, she decides to take down her walls and let him in.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 38
Kudos: 372





	The Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I'm Mikau, and this is another failed attempt to write a one-hundred-word drabble. Lucky you! At least, I hope you walk away from this story thinking so. ^.^;
> 
> The prompt was: "Tell me a secret."
> 
> Enjoy!

“Patrol” that night turned to tag and then became stargazing, much like many other nights they’d shared over their two years of partnership.

“Tell me a secret,” Chat whispered up at the dim points of celestial light, breathless and hopeful, as they lay on their backs on the roof of Sainte Chapelle.

“Chat Noir,” Ladybug sighed, tired of always having to be the one to enforce the rules.

“No, no,” he hastily assured, rolling onto his side to face her. “Not like that. I just meant something small, something trivial and harmless.”

Her lips pressed together as she contemplated his request, her brow slowly beginning to furrow. She opened her mouth to explain that she didn’t think it was a good idea, but he headed her off.

“Just tell me something meaningless like…you normally wear your hair in a bun or something,” he begged, voice brittle and far more emotional than she thought it should be over something so inconsequential.

Clearly, this meant more to him than she’d originally supposed.

“Please,” he stressed, eyes liquid and soft as they pled with her, making her heart do things that it shouldn’t do.

“I just…I want to know you better,” he confessed earnestly. “Even if I can’t know your name or meet your friends or come hang out at your house, can’t I know things like your favourite colour, what you ate for lunch, and how you spend your days when you’re not saving Paris?”

Ladybug sat up, resting her elbows on her knees, and bit her bottom lip, conviction wavering. “…We’d have to be very careful. I don’t know, Chat Noir. I don’t—”

Seizing the opportunity, he rolled up to sitting and enthusiastically volunteered, “I’ll go first. Let’s see…”

“Chat Noir,” Ladybug groaned.

“Don’t worry.” He waved her concern away. “I won’t tell you anything that will reveal my identity. Trust me.”

She held his gaze for what felt like an interminable moment and then sighed, looking away and shaking her head. “I _do_ trust you, you goof.”

He gave a feline trill of joy, looking awfully pleased with himself.

She tried to hide her affectionate smile but did not succeed.

“Let’s see…” he repeated, gazing out at the sea of light that was the Right Bank. “I…” his voice grew soft, suddenly sounding far away. “…I’m secretly not very happy. Not as happy as I pretend to be, anyway.”

Her expression darkened with concern, and she leaned in closer, resting a tentative hand on his arm.

“Some days it’s not just an act, and I really am happy, but…” He shook his head and sighed. “There are a lot of days I feel like I’m faking it.”

She was quiet for a long stretch as she tried to wrap her head around this revelation. “…That…wasn’t a small, silly, trivial secret.”

He shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, but now she would always have to wonder if the emotions he displayed were the truth or an added layer of mask.

“I think a lot of people are like that, though,” Chat hummed thoughtfully. “Everyone says they’re fine when they’re not. Everyone puts their best face forward, so I don’t think it’s actually that big of a deal, do you?”

She couldn’t pin down the words to tell him that that was something wrong with society and that everyone else he knew covering up their discontentment with “I’m fine. How are you?” and daily Instagram posts making their lives out to be perfect needed help too. Just because it was widespread, that didn’t make it any less of a serious problem.

“I think…” she replied tentatively, “that it’s not good to feel like you have to hide how you’re really feeling. I don’t think that’s good, Chat Noir.”

“…Maybe not,” he agreed after a moment’s consideration. “Sometimes life isn’t good or kind or fair, though. You just have to do your best and play the hand you’re dealt.”

She pulled her hand back, worrying her bottom lip as she mulled over his response. “…It shouldn’t have to be like that, though,” she finally muttered.

He hummed thoughtfully in answer.

Silence fell between them as they continued to gaze out at the twinkling city lights.

“…Sometimes,” Ladybug began hesitantly, “I feel really overwhelmed. Being the Guardian _and_ Ladybug _and_ just plain old me on top of it is…” She blew out a long breath. “…it’s exhausting. I feel like…it’s too much sometimes.”

He turned to her, face full of compassion and concern. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She blinked at him, thrown by the suggestion.

It had never occurred to her to ask for help. It had never occurred to her that maybe someone _could_ help her. It had always seemed like the burden was hers alone to carry, but…

“…I don’t know,” she confessed. “I guess…” She scrunched her brow and bit her lip. “Maybe…let me think about it. I don’t think there’s anything I could delegate as far as tasks or responsibilities, but…”

She looked up to find him gazing at her patiently, lovingly, willing to do anything she needed him to do.

It was very comforting to be reminded that she wasn’t alone, that she had someone by her side no matter what who would always have her back, even when it felt like the whole world was pressing down on her.

“Thank you, Chat Noir,” she replied earnestly with a soft smile of gratitude. “I really appreciate the offer.”

“Of course. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were feeling that way before,” he stressed, reaching out to put a firm hand on her shoulder. “You always seem like you have everything together, and I just assume that you can handle anything because you always _do_ , no matter what we’re up against. I never stopped to think that maybe you were struggling underneath it all too.”

She chuckled half-heartedly at that, her smile paling and taking on an ironic aspect. “Well, at least I’m able to fool the rest of the world. I always feel like I’m trying to juggle a bajillion balls at once and I keep dropping them all over the place.”

He gave her arm a squeeze. “Hey.”

She looked back up at him, getting caught on his fluorescent green eyes.

“You know you can talk to me about things, right?” he urged. “I know the whole identities thing is a big deal to you, and I’m not saying you’re wrong, but…I think your mental health is more important.”

Her eyes went wide in surprise. She had never thought of it like that before, but, surely, those weren’t grounds for breaking the rules. She just had to try harder, do better…didn’t she?

“If you feel like you’re drowning and have no one to talk to but your kwami, I don’t think that’s very good, My Lady,” he continued gently. “I don’t know that I would really be able to offer much help, but…I can at least listen. Sometimes just getting it off your chest a little and feeling like you’ve been heard makes a big difference, so…” He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “I know I’m not much, but at least I’m here. _Always_.”

She surged forward, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him tight against her. “Chat Noir…you’re _so_ much more than that.”

He returned the hug gently, giving her a comforting squeeze. “I’m glad you think so.”

She pulled back and looked at him earnestly. “I can’t tell you my identity, but maybe you’re right. Maybe I could talk about things more, if I was careful.”

He nodded, missing her arms around him immediately. “Definitely. If you wanted to meet up more often just to talk…or, you could call me on our communicators, but…I’m happy to listen to you vent and maybe help brainstorm solutions.”

Her smile regained its strength as she nodded in agreement, her heart feeling lighter. “Maybe we could meet up once a week. Maybe have a picnic? I could bring little finger sandwiches and pastries.”

His whole face lit up, ears and tail standing at attention as a wide grin of excitement broke out on his face. “Really? Could we?”

“Mmhm,” she assured, beginning to feel enthusiasm for the idea herself. “I mean…I hang out and talk with my other friends, so…why shouldn’t we meet up and hang out sometimes too?”

“There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t do that,” he agreed before she could remember her sense of duty and strict adherence to the rules her kwami and Maître Fu had laid out for her.

“Then…how about next Saturday?” she suggested, and he readily agreed.

During the first meeting of the Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society (as Chat Noir had dubbed them), Ladybug learned that her partner didn’t really care for meat.

Apparently, his mother had been a crazy strict vegetarian, so he’d never developed much of a taste for meat. He’d eat it if it was set in front of him, but, given the choice, he’d pick something plant-based.

She also learned that his mother was no loner in the picture and hadn’t been for the past few years. He was vague about what had happened to her, but Ladybug got the sense that his mother had probably passed away.

On her end, Ladybug shared that she took on a lot of responsibilities as a civilian and had trouble saying no when people asked her to do things.

Chat offered to take a look at her schedule to see if he could help with time management, but she was afraid that her to do list might give her identity away, so, instead, he just offered her some of the time management tricks he used.

Ladybug ate most of the finger sandwiches, making a mental note to include some egg salad, cucumber, and salmon sandwiches the next time, since Chat said he didn’t have a problem with animal products or seafood. Chat Noir was more than happy to devour the petit fours and miniature lemon tarts.

The second meeting of the Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society featured black currant and golden raisin scones paired with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

“It’s like a real tea party!” Chat chuckled, cream smeared at the edge of his mouth.

Ladybug couldn’t help but grin at his child-like excitement.

She was finding that making him happy brought her a lot of joy too.

A little later on, Chat Noir talked about how lonely he got sometimes in his big, empty house.

“My father’s a very busy man,” he explained with a sigh of resignation. “It’s hard for him to find time in his schedule. I get it, but…it still sucks…and he won’t even let me have friends over to fill in the gap, so…” He shook his head, sighing again. “…it’s hard somedays.”

She made a mental note to schedule more patrols to get him out of the house and to text him through their communicators “just because” even when she didn’t have anything in particular to say. She’d find something to say if it would help him feel less alone.

Shortly thereafter, she shared that she often felt detached from her friends. There was so much she had to keep secret that it felt like they didn’t really know her anymore, so it was hard to relate to them.

In response, he offered his services once more, and it occurred to her that maybe she needed to text him more for her own sake as well as for his.

The third meeting of the Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society was rather casual. Chat Noir volunteered to cater and showed up with a box of assorted pastries from Tom and Sabine’s.

“I love their pain au chocolat,” he chattered happily, chocolate coating his lips in a rather distracting manner.

Internally, Marinette was panicking because she’d been helping out at the bakery earlier that day, and what if she’d seen her partner and hadn’t even known it?!

“Their macarons are really amazing too,” Chat prattled on.

That evening’s secrets were a little less deep. Chat Noir confessed that he sometimes skipped out on extra-curricular activities to go on runs as Chat Noir, and Ladybug told him that a couple of times she’d used her powers for personal gain.

That made him crack up.

“My Lady!” he pretended to gasp indignantly. “How could you ever do something so selfish? I _believed_ in you!”

“Leave me alone,” she groaned, shoving him playfully.

“But, seriously. I use my powers for personal gain, like…every day,” he chuckled. “I don’t know how you manage to be so good and selfless all the time.”

“Doesn’t your kwami lecture and guilt trip you? Like, ever?” she grumbled sullenly.

That set him off laughing all over again. “ _Plagg_? Lecture me? Ladybug, you’ve met my kwami. He’s a little stinkball comprised of the chaotic forces of the universe. He’s the one who talks me into letting loose a little and shirking my duties to go have fun.”

She stared at him blankly for a minute, trying to determine if he were joking. “…For real?”

He nodded. “Plagg is really good at being a bad influence. He actively encourages me to behave selfishly.”

Ladybug pursed her lips, pouting, “I love Tikki to death and wouldn’t trade her for the world…but why did you get the fun kwami?”

“I _needed_ the fun kwami,” Chat snorted good-naturedly. “Look at it this way: at least you got the sweet kwami. Plagg is a little gremlin.”

She hummed thoughtfully, meditating on this revelation. “…Maybe it is better this way. Plagg would probably get into my yarn and wreak havoc.”

“Yep,” Chat snickered, taking another bite of his pain au chocolat.

For the fourth meeting of the Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society, Ladybug brought an actual picnic basket full of goodies.

The heroes were spread out on the blanket, Chat lying on his back and gazing up at the stars with his arms and legs sticking out like a starfish, when Ladybug blurted out, “My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I am a mess” like they were introducing themselves at a support group meeting.

Chat lifted his head to take a good look at her as she shook in terror, hand clapped over her mouth and eyes wide, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just confessed.

He smiled warmly, loving, and assured, “You’re not a mess, Marinette. Don’t worry. I can personally attest to the fact that you look very pretty covered in flour, brownie batter, and strawberry icing. That’s not something just anyone could pull off.”

Ladybug blinked, unsure of what to make of his response. “…Oh?”

“Mmhm,” he confirmed, lowering his head back down but still keeping an eye on her expression. “You’re gorgeous…and genuinely a good person on top of that. You bend over backwards for anyone who needs your help, and you’re a wonderful friend. I’ve always admired your generosity, your kindness, and your ability to stand up for others. You’re not a mess, Marinette; you’re just stressed out because you’ve got too much on your plate.”

“Oh,” she whispered, swallowing back the hurricane of emotions welling up within her.

Her hands dropped to her sides, and a single tear leaked down her cheek.

“T-Thanks,” she struggled to get out.

He reached out, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

She squeezed back, and then they just sat there for a while, holding hands and feeling an odd sense of rightness.

A few minutes later, when it felt like Marinette’s emotions had settled, Chat Noir cleared his throat.

“Incidentally,” he announced, tightening his hold on her hand as his began to shake. “My name…”

She gasped but made no move to stop him.

He looked to her for permission, and she nodded, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

“My name is Adrien Agreste, and I really am a mess,” he chuckled and then held his breath.

She sucked in a sharp inhale and stared at him as her mind did backbends to try to sew the two boys she loved together into one.

His smile started to falter when she didn’t respond as the long, painful seconds ticked away.

“I’m panicking, and I kind of need you to say something,” he informed as he felt himself tipping over the edge, about to burst into tears.

“You’re pretty!” she exclaimed.

He blinked and then laughed. “Thank you!”

She groaned, covering her face with her hands. “No! That’s not what I meant to say!”

“So, I’m not pretty?” Chat pouted, pretending his feelings had been hurt.

Ladybug shook her head in frustration, revising, “No. You’re very pretty, but…” She scrubbed her face with her hands before dropping them to her sides and trying again, “I like you!”

His heart fluttered, and a cherry blossom pink blush began to leak out from underneath his mask.

“No!” she rushed to amend. “I like you as a person! I like the person you are!” She winced, shook her head, and tried again, “Adrien, I like who you are as a person. You’re good and sweet and forgiving and…I’m so lucky to have you in my life. You’re my precious partner and my best friend, so please don’t think mean things about yourself like, ‘I’m a mess’.”

His lips curled into a soft smile, and he looked at her tenderly as he retook her hand and threaded their fingers through one another’s. “Thanks, Marinette.”

He took immense delight in the way she blushed and smiled as she replied with a shy, “You’re welcome”.

They stayed like that for a bit, admiring the stars as their hands rested comfortably in one another’s.

Then, all of a sudden, Ladybug demanded, “Wait. How in the world do you manage to do so well in school on top of excelling at all of your extra-curriculars while juggling careers as a model _and_ a superhero?!”

Chat shrugged and snickered, “Time management skills. You seriously need to let me sit down with you and help you optimize your schedule. Honestly, you’re probably not sleeping enough.”

Ladybug’s face scrunched up into an exaggerated pout. “How much do _you_ sleep?”

“Seven hours on average.”

Her pout turned into a heated glare.

He grinned that too-wide Chat Noir grin that she had wanted to smack off his face more than once.

“Seriously. I can help,” he promised. “I’ll sneak out and come visit you one night, and we can figure it out together. You know. Because we’re partners.”

Her sour expression slowly relented into a grateful smile, and she nodded. “I’d like that.”

And then he ruined the moment by adding, “Maybe we can work on your ability to lie and make up excuses while we’re at it. I’m honestly surprised that Alya hasn’t caught onto you yet, because the things you say when you run off to transform and save the world are kind of bizarre and wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny if anyone bothered to check.”

“It’s a good thing our friends are so credulous,” she grumbled, settling down beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. “Go back to being sweet. I don’t like you as a smart aleck.”

He wrapped an arm around her and considered saying, “I love you _always_ ” but then thought better of it.

Maybe her outbursts of “you’re pretty” and “I like you” didn’t mean what he thought they meant, and that particular moment didn’t feel like the right time to test his hypothesis.

He decided to wait and give it a little time to see how things went between them now that they knew each other’s identities. Maybe for the tenth meeting of the Secrets and Rooftop Picnics Society he could organize another romantic surprise for her like he’d done two years prior and see if her answer was any different this time around.

“Tell me another secret,” he whispered into her hair, luxuriating in that perfect moment with her.

She snickered. “I have a bit of a problem stealing other people’s phones.”

He lifted his head to frown down at her in confusion. “You what?”

The

End

**Author's Note:**

> Ta-da! What did you think? I'm having fun writing Lady Noir recently. It isn't something that I've done much in the past, but would you be interested in more Lady Noir content from me in the future? I'll have to keep it in mind.
> 
> What did you like about the story? What didn't you like? I actually wrote eighty percent of this this morning, and it went in a direction I wasn't expecting. ^.^; This was fun, though. I like the Lady Noir dynamic. Did you have a favourite scene or a favourite line? I think I liked Chat and Ladybug complaining about "you got the fun kwami" and "but you got the sweet kwami".
> 
> Incidentally, the title is kind of like "The Secret, Book, and Scone Society", if you've ever read that book. I read the first book in the series but never looked into the rest of the series. Anyway.
> 
> Thank you for reading everyone! Take care of yourselves!
> 
> Come follow me on [Tumblr](https://mikauzoran.tumblr.com/).


End file.
